The present invention relates generally to an adjustable knuckle apparatus for a stroller or carriage. More specifically, the present invention relates a cable-compensating adjustable knuckle that can be used in connection with a pivotal or foldable handle of a stroller or carriage.
Foldable strollers are well known in the art. Foldable strollers, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,740 to Hartenstine and U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,284 to Kakuda, both incorporated herein by reference, have a stroller frame that allows the stroller to fold from an extended (use) configuration to a collapsed (stow) configuration. These foldable strollers typically have left- and right-side fold mechanisms, also known as hinge locks, that allow the stroller to collapse from the extended configuration to the collapsed configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,584 to Haut et al., incorporated herein by reference, discloses details of suitable fold mechanisms that can be used on such a foldable stroller.
In many folding strollers, the operator needs to use both hands to unlock the two lock mechanisms. Using both hands can be cumbersome and inconvenient, particularly when only one hand is free. In addition, because the lock mechanisms are located between the push arms of the stroller and the stroller""s front legs, the operator must walk to the front of the stroller and lean over to grasp and pull the fold mechanisms to effect collapse of the stroller. The need to lean over to reach the fold mechanisms can be uncomfortable to operators suffering from back stress.
To alleviate some of these problems, U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,284 to Kakuda discloses a one-hand-fold actuator conveniently located at the center of the handle bar. The one-hand-fold actuator makes it simple and easy for an operator to simultaneously unlock the fold mechanisms using only one hand. The actuator is wired via a pair of cables to lock mechanisms on either side of the stroller, one cable per side. Upon actuation, the actuator simultaneously pulls the cables, which pass through the tubular members of the handle bar, to release both lock mechanisms.
Another feature that is desirable on stroller is a handle bar that can be adjusted to suit the height and stance of the stroller operator. Examples of such arrangements are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,835 to Huang and U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,805 to Wang. Including such an adjustable handlebar, however, makes it difficult to provide a fold actuator on the handle bar when the cables, which are used to operate the lock mechanism, are required to pass through the tubular handle bar and push arms, as in the case of the arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,284.
Accordingly, there is a need for a stroller with an adjustable handle bar and a remote fold actuator, where cabling between the fold actuator and the fold mechanisms do not interfere with, or impede, the handle bar adjustment mechanism.
The present invention provides an adjustable knuckle comprising a first knuckle member having a first cable guide and a second knuckle member having a second cable guide. The second knuckle member is rotatable relative to the first knuckle member so that a plurality of angular positions can be established between the first and second knuckle members. The adjustable knuckle further comprises first and second cable slack absorption members disposed on the first knuckle member in first and second predetermined positions. The first and second cable slack absorption members are located and dimensioned so that a cable, passing from the first cable guide to the second cable guide, wraps thereon when an angle between the first knuckle member and the second knuckle member changes from a first angle, at which the cable passes between the first and second cable absorption members with a minimum of deflection by either of the first and second cable absorption members, to a second angle.
In this arrangement, the first and second slack absorption members can comprise first and second pulleys which are rotatably supported on the first knuckle member in the first and second predetermined positions, respectively. The first and second pulleys each have a periphery about which the cable wraps when the angle between the first knuckle member and the second knuckle member changes from the first angle to the second angle.
A second aspect of the invention resides in a stroller comprising a handle bar; a push arm; a lock element disposed in the push arm; a manually operable actuator disposed in the handle bar; a knuckle interconnecting the handle bar and the push arm; a cable interconnecting the manually operable actuator and the lock element; and first and second cable slack absorption members disposed on the knuckle. The knuckle permits angular adjustment of the handle bar with respect to the push arm. The cable passes through a portion of the knuckle and through the push arm. In addition, the cable has a length selected to permit an operative connection between the manually operable actuator and the lock element and to be essentially equal to a maximum path length between the manually operable device and the lock mechanism, which occurs when an angle between the handle bar and the push arm assumes a maximum path length angle. The first and second cable slack absorption members are arranged so that, when the handle bar and the push arm are angled at the maximum path length angle, the cable passes between the first and second slack absorption members with the minimum amount of deflection and so that, as the angle between the handle bar and the push arm changes from the maximum path angle, the amount of cable engaging a periphery of one of the cable slack absorption members increases. No cable slack occurs due to the increased engagement of the cable by the cable slack absorption member.
A further aspect of the invention resides in a method of assembly of a stroller handle having a handle bar and a push bar connected by a knuckle which allows the angle of the handle bar to be selectively adjusted with respect to the push bar. The method comprises providing a manually operable actuator on the handle bar, the actuator including a cable; feeding the cable through cable guides formed in the knuckle so that the cable passes between a pair of slack absorption members in the knuckle; connecting an end of the cable to a lock element; disposing a pair of tongs through a hollow of a push arm so that gripping elements of the tongs protrude out through a first end of the push arm; gripping the lock element with the gripping elements of the tongs; pulling the lock element into the hollow of the push arm using the tongs; inserting the push arm into a socket formed in a knuckle; and pulling the tongs out of the push arm until a portion of the lock element protrudes from a second end of the push arm.
Another aspect of the invention relates to an adjustable knuckle comprising a first knuckle member having a first cable guide and a second knuckle member having a second cable guide. The second knuckle member is rotatable relative to the first knuckle member so that a plurality of angular positions can be established between the first and second knuckle members. The adjustable knuckle also comprises first and second cable slack absorption members disposed on the first knuckle member in first and second predetermined positions. The first and second cable slack absorption members are located and dimensioned so that a cable, passing from the first cable guide to the second cable guide, passes between the first and second cable slack absorption members.